Being unclean was not a measure of one’s character or personal value; it excluded one from participating in worship. One became unclean in ways that were beyond his control and in everyday living. Skin diseases and bodily discharges are unlovely consequences of living in a fallen world. God will not allow such contamination, brought into the world as a consequence of sin, to come into His presence. That seems reasonable, doesn’t it? He wasn’t the one who sinned, so why should He have to suffer contamination from the Fall?
God’s having the conversation about uncleanness was unpleasant and perhaps embarrassing, but how precious that He would rather deal with that ugly reality than turn His back on contaminated mankind. As funny as it seems, the talk about sores and discharges should help us understand how much God loves us.
This talk about uncleanness should lead us to recognize that we New Testament people of God are also contaminated by living in this fallen world, sometimes through no fault of our own. We need to be on our guard against that which can contaminate us. How would one do that effectively, do you think? We should also not be surprised or discouraged when we need to seek cleansing because we have become contaminated by living in a sin-cursed world.
But the idea of contamination and cleansing should also remind us of what a wonderful work Jesus did for us: He offers all we need for full restoration of relationship with God in His one awful sacrifice. I suspect that all of the requirements listed for cleansing and making atonement teach about Messiah’s work to effect our salvation, and that is why the record is preserved for us. It might offer a worthwhile study.